Bok Choy Salad Recipe

Recently I learned that bok choy is the number one vegetable in China. It seems to be the number one vegetable in my CSA box lately. It's a very healthy vegetable with a ton of vitamin A, vitamin C and vitamin K plus and is even a good source of calcium and iron, but I have to admit, after serving it steamed or saut�ed again and again, I was looking for a new way to prepare it.

As luck would have it, at a Chinese New Year's dinner I stumbled upon a terrific dish at Fang restaurant. It was served raw, as a salad with a soy and sesame vinaigrette alongside some chunks of short rib. Bok choy is very mild flavored but it has great texture. The leaves are tender and somewhat herbal without being bitter, and the stems are very juicy and crisp. I had never considered using bok choy in salad but after trying that dish, I couldn't stop thinking about it.

Looking around online I found plenty of Asian inspired recipes for bok choy salad, and a few takes on coleslaw and even a chopped salad. My idea was to make a more Italian style salad using extra virgin olive oil, lemon juice and Parmigiano Reggiano. The result is a salad at once familiar and yet fresh. It's a great choice for a potluck or dinner party, because it is very sturdy and won't easily wilt. You could mix in other greens, add cherry tomatoes or even fresh fava beans when in season.

Bok Choy Salad
1 serving (multiply for as many servings as you like)

Ingredients

1 cup sliced bok choy
1/2 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
Salt
Parmigiano reggiano, preferably young less than 18 months
Croutons
Freshly ground pepper

Instructions

Toss the bok choy in a bowl with the lemon juice and olive oil and a tiny pinch of salt. Shave long strips of Parmigiano using a vegetable peeler and add those and about five or so croutons to the bok choy. Season with pepper before serving.

Enjoy!


More inspiring bok choy salad recipes:

Bok Choy and Avocado Salad

Thai Steak and Bok Choy Salad

Bok Choy Salad with Corn & Edamame

Turkey Bacon & Bok Choy Salad with Shaved Parmesan (chopped salad style)

Bok Choy with Sesame Soy Vinaigrette

Bok Choy Salad (with ramen noodles and almonds)

Crunchy Bok Choy Slaw (like coleslaw)

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A16 turns 10

A16 restaurant is celebrating a 10 year anniversary. That�s a huge accomplishment in any city, especially San Francisco. A16 focuses on the food and wine of Southern Italy. When it opened, the idea of a regional Italian restaurant was a bit of an anomaly in San Francisco. And Neapolitan style pizza was nonexistent. Needless to say a lot has changed in 10 years (including the expansion of A16 to locations in Oakland and Tokyo).

Recently I got the chance to speak with Wine Director and Owner, Shelley Lindgren to talk about Italian food, wine and the success of the restaurant. 

How much does travel play a role at A16? 

A lot! This year I�ll be going to VinItaly. I�ve been able to send people, but it�s been years since I�ve gone. Most people catch the bug when they go to Italy and want to get back there again. It�s important because it�s where things start clicking. We try to make wine trips happen. It brings the products to life. It�s the stories you hear and every winery has stories. Investing in our people makes us better. Going to Naples to get our pizzaiolo certified was a big deal too. 

When chefs change at A16, how do you maintain consistency? 

This is a really important question, it�s the way our first chef Christophe (Hille) set up the kitchen, the prep, which is big because we use very fresh ingredients. Certain dishes have stayed on the menu since day one, burrata, the meatballs, the tripe, but there has to be room for changes in emphasis too. When Nate (Appleman) was promoted he wanted to make his own mark with meat. Liza (Shaw) was more into pasta. Everyone wants to do their own thing and I understand that. 

How has the wine list changed at A16 over the last 10 years? 

Our opening list was less than a quarter of what�s on the list now. There is so much more available. Fianos, Tauarasi, when we opened there were something like only 3 Etna Rossos available, now there are around 50. Even Chianti is going through a renaissance. There are more great wines and better prices. People have a much better understanding of Italian wine now and I�m still researching Southern Italian wines and varietals. 

Italian food has changed in the Bay Area, who do you think is doing a good job? 

There�s so much good Italian food now. La Ciccia and La Nebbia. Owner and chef Massimo helped me edit our first wine list. Acquerello. Quince and Cotogna. Delfina. Sociale does a great job, a perfect neighborhood place. And I love Una Pizza Napoletana.

What makes a restaurant a classic? 

Certain types of food that are timeless versus trendy. Like Zuni for chicken or caesar salad. Consistency. Paying attention, forging ahead and striving to improve. It�s not just pizza at A16, it�s something we hold dear. It�s important to be a part of the City, part of the community, so people feel like they�re being taken care of. We are a place where people can go and celebrate and be comfortable and leave happy! 

I walk in to A16 and I love the energy and the people we have working for us who are passionate about food and wine. We have our own built in community of people. We need to not forget our focus and help each other out. It takes effort to maintain that. 

Words to live by? 

There can never be too much pizza.

Thanks Shelley! I couldn�t agree more. 

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Heart-Healthy Valentine's Day Soup: Borscht

I love chocolate, but I'd be really psyched if someone made me this lovely version of Borscht for Valentine's Day!

Borscht, the classic soup made with beets, potatoes and cabbage, is delicious and fabulously good for you!  Beets are full of antioxidants, think anti-inflamatory, and both beets and cabbage, particularly the red variety, are packed full of Vitamin C.  Both help the body detox, so this is an anytime soup. I used a small heart-shaped cutter to create heart shapes out of the beets and potatoes and then diced the rest and included them in the soup.

Wishing everyone a wonderful and healthy Valentine's Day!

Valentine's Day Borscht:

1 TBS vegetable oil

1/2 onion, peeled and diced

3 medium beets, peeled and thinly sliced

1 medium potato, peeled and thinly sliced

1/2 red cabbage, chopped

3 cups vegetable broth

1 cup water

sea salt to taste

apple cider vinegar to taste

Heat the oil in a heavy bottomed saucepan and saute the onion for 5 minutes. Using a small heart-shaped cutter, cut heart shapes out of the beet and potato slices.  Dice the remaining extras.  Add the beets, cover and cook for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally to avoid sticking. Add the potato and some salt and cook for 3 minutes. Add the red cabbage and cook for 1 minute. Add the vegetable broth and water and bring to a boil (uncovered). Turn down to a low simmer and cook until beets and potatoes are just tender (10-15 minutes). Adjust salt and add apple cider vinegar as desired (I used 2-3 tsp).

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Is Certified Chocolate Better?

The Rainforest Alliance sent me a collection of Rainforest Alliance Certified and Verified chocolate. I liked some it, including fun candy bars from Bixby and chocolate bars from Dagoba. I would love to be able to tell you that a simple logo like the Rainforest Alliance frog or one of the fair trade certifications like UTZ or Fair Trade USA guarantees that the products you are buying are better for people, animals and the environment. But I can�t. It�s just not that simple. 

Certifications are all about transparency, but I couldn�t find details on the fees on the Rainforest Alliance website and a representative of the Rainforest Alliance didn�t supply them to me (some details on the comments section). In speaking with people who work both for companies that do and don�t carry the Rainforest Alliance logo I learned that the fees that are charged for verification and certification are not insignificant and it's likely those costs are passed on to consumers.

The cost for independent certifiers who can reportedly charge as much as $750 per day, in countries where the average monthly salary is only $50. Also only 30% of cacao might meet the standards and other ingredients might not meet any of the standards, one such ingredient is palm oil which can be very destructive to the environment. So is certified better? 

I think certifications programs are intended to do good, but ultimately, knowing the company that produces your chocolate is even better than any logo. Some chocolate companies I greatly respect for their products as well as their values include Amano Chocolate, Guittard and Pacari. Some have the Rainforest Alliance certification and some don't. 

Read more about the FairTrade, UTZ and Rainforest Alliance certifications and what they mean, the positive and the negative.

Disclosure: My thanks to the Rainforest Alliance for sending me samples

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Asparagus, Lentil & Mushroom Soup

I love this simple Asparagus, Lentil & Mushroom soup! I've made it 5 or 6 times in the last month, varying the spices, and the amount of heat.  It makes a wonderfully satisfying winter lunch - the lentils provide a low-fat protein and fiber hit, the asparagus offers a contrasting freshness, and the mushrooms round out the flavor with a warm earthiness.  Considering the 10 inches of rain we've had over the past 5 days here in Marin County, this soup delivers comfort without a lot of calories, perfect for a few quiet days indoors.

I've made it with and without fresh thyme, and used a variety of spices - ground cumin and coriander, a Bengali spice mix called Panch Phoron (cumin, fennel, fenugreek, black mustard and Nigella seeds),  cumin and mustard seeds. I've added heat with chili-garlic sauce, jalapenos, and cayenne pepper. I've used Trader Joe's steamed lentils and also cooked dried lentils.  In the picture above, I used the tiny black "caviar" lentils (simply boil in water for 25 minutes until almost tender).

My staples for this recipe are lemon juice, sherry vinegar, tomato paste (I keep a tube by the stove for soups) and a couple of chopped olives to add richness.  Fresh spinach would also be a worthy addition.

I love the combination of asparagus and lentils. For a salad version see my Lentil & Asparagus Salad with Goat Cheese & Walnuts. Enjoy!

Asparagus, Lentil & Mushroom Soup:

1 TBS olive oil

1 shallot, finely chopped

1 glove garlic, minced

1 tsp ground cumin (or try combinations discussed above)

1/2 tsp ground coriander

1 tsp butter (or fav vegan substitute)

1 cup asparagus (thick ends removed, chopped into 1/2 inch rounds)

2 tsp fresh lemon juice

1/2 cup sliced mushrooms (I used cremini)

1 cup cooked lentils

24 oz vegetable stock

1 tsp tomato paste

1/2 tsp chili garlic sauce

3 olives, finely chopped

1 tsp sherry vinegar

salt and pepper to taste

Heat the olive oil in a heavy saucepan over medium heat and cook the chopped shallot and minced garlic for 2 minutes. Add the ground cumin and coriander and cook 30 seconds, stirring well.  Add the butter, melt, and add the chopped asparagus with a couple of grinds of salt and pepper. Cover and cook for 2 minutes. Add the sliced mushrooms, stir well, cover and cook 2 minutes.  Add the cooked lentils and vegetable stock, partially cover and bring to a boil. Turn down the heat and add the tomato paste, chili garlic sauce, chopped olives and sherry vinegar. Let the soup cook for 8-10 minutes over low heat, so it is just bubbling. Taste and adjust the salt and pepper. Enjoy!

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The Lucky Pig Recipe

I am somewhat obsessed with a dish called the Lucky Pig, it�s served at Solbar in Calistoga and I order it almost every time I dine there. It�s basically tender roast pork served with a lot of other goodies�sesame pancakes, peanuts, jalape?os, herbs and lettuce, sauces, and even a little noodle salad. 

SolBar is a Michelin star restaurant at the Solage resort, but it�s got an approachable menu that has both healthy light options as well as more indulgent food and the staff couldn�t be nicer or more accommodating. Speaking of accommodating, to order the Lucky Pig I have to cajole other diners at my table to share it with me. The size of the roast pork shoulder varies, but it�s quite a lot of food. I also have to convince someone to go to Calistoga with me and since it�s about an hour and half drive, !�ve been working on my own version of it to enjoy at home. 

I�ve simplified the recipe quite a bit. In my opinion there are only a few elements that are really crucial, specifically the roast pork, sesame pancakes, pineapple pickles and lime wedges. You can see the original recipe from Chef Brandon Sharp as well as a scaled back version from The Mad Priest, I referred to both in creating my own recipe. It would be great for a dinner party, just be sure to start the day before. And by all means do try the original version next time you're in Calistoga. Note: The dish is on the lounge menu, but the restaurant happily serves it in the main dining room to anyone who requests it. 

The Lucky Pig

Serves about 4- 6 

Roast pork

Sesame pancakes

Pineapple pickles 

Roasted salted (or unsalted) peanuts

Sliced scallions

Butter lettuce leaves
Lime wedges
Jalape?o slices
Fresh basil, cilantro, and mint leaves
Peanut sauce

Sriracha sauce, optional 

Serve the roast pork hot, and the rest of the ingredients cool or at room temperature. Allow each guest to "roll their own" little pork stuffed pancakes with as many of the garnishes as they like. 

Roast pork

4 lbs (more or less) boneless pork shoulder
Kosher salt
10 cloves unpeeled garlic

Cut the pork into 2 pieces, pat dry, score the fat and and salt liberally on all sides. Place on a plate and let refrigerate uncovered, for 8 hours or overnight.

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Heat a Dutch oven and sear the pork on all sides until brown. This will take about 15 minutes. Place the garlic cloves in the Dutch oven with the pork, cover and roast for about 3 hours or until very tender. I start checking it after 2 hours. 

Sesame pancakes 

1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup bread flour
1 teaspoon Kosher salt
5 Tablespoons butter, melted and cooled
1 Tablespoon sesame oil
5 eggs
1 1/4 cups milk
2 teaspoons black sesame seeds

Blend all the ingredients except the sesame seeds, until smooth. Add the sesame seeds and transfer the mixture to the refrigerator to rest for up to 8 hours. Heat an 8 inch non-stick pan and make the crepes using about 2 Tablespoons of batter, be sure to stir the batter so each crepe has plenty of sesame seeds.

Pineapple pickles 

3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

1 tablespoon sugar

1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon sriracha sauce

20 ounce can pineapple, drained

Whisk together the apple cider vinegar, sugar, salt and sriracha sauce in a bowl. Add the pineapple and let marinate in a covered container in the refrigerator for 8 hours.

Enjoy! 

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Noodle Soup with Tofu, Broccolini & Chard Stems

Rainbow chard is a lovely product and I highly recommend using it to make the delicious French Chard & Potato Gratin.  But don't throw away those intensely colored chard stems!  The very pretty and colorful chard stems are excellent candidates for soup or a stir fry. Yes, they do loose some of their dramatic coloring with cooking, but I think this Noodle Soup with Tofu, Broccolini & Chard Stem Soup is an excellent example of how you can repurpose a potential throw-away into an attractive and tasty ingredient.

This simple soup uses a refrigerator packaged fresh noodle soup with spicy flavoring and adds onions, garlic, soy sauce, a little toasted sesame oil, and fresh ginger to the prepackaged broth to give it a home-made taste. Add the chard stems a few minutes before the tofu and broccolini and cook until just tender. You'll end up with a delicious Asian soup that accents the lovely color and taste of the chard stems, with the textural profiles of the broccolini, silky tofu and comforting noodles.

Enjoy!

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Albion Cooks Celebrates 8 Years!

It's been such a blast to write this blog for the last 8 years!  I've learned so much!  Thank you for sharing in my culinary journey.

To celebrate, I've chosen some favorite recipes from 2006-2014.  Enjoy!

Lentils in a Roast Potato Base

Roasted Red Pepper & Red Lentil Soup

Brussels Sprout & Blue Cheese Pizza

Quinoa & Red Lentil Kitchari

Spinach, Garlic & Basil Soup

Tofu Fries

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